Dispensing device



June 17, 1958 LEWNE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1957 INVENTOR. BERNARD Ea. LEvmE ATTOEH EYS United States atent DISPENSING DEVICE Bernard B. Levine, New York, N. Y.

Application August 30, 1957, Serial No. 681,345

4 Claims, (Cl. 222-537) The present invention relates to a dispensing device for attachment to a container of the type used to contain a supply of lighter fluid or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device for attachment to a container which is virtually leak-proof when in attached position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device for attachment to a container which lends itself to ready assembly in the top of the container having a hole therethrough and one which seals itself in said hole.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing device for attachment to a container which lends itself to ready fabrication of plastic materials and to eflicient manufacture by plastic molding machines, and one which is economically feasible.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a portion of the upper end of a container, showing the dispensing device of the present invention installed thereon,

Figure 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, the dotted lines showing the closed position of the nozzle,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an isometric exploded view of the components of the present invention.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the dispensing device of the present invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and is for attachment to a container top 12, the top 12 having a discharge opening therethrough. The device 10 comprises a cap 14 for mounting on the container top 12 so as to bridge and close the discharge opening provided in the top 12.

The cap 14 includes an inner closure member and an outer cover 18. The closure member 16 has a depending skirt 20 extending into the container opening and 'frictionally engaging the walls of the container opening with a head 22 projecting'exteriorly of the skirt 2% and underlying a complemen'tal bead 24 provided upon the lower end of the wall 26 of the container opening, as shown most clearly in Figure 2 and Figure 3.

A neck 28 rises from the closure member 16 and has opposed spaced side walls 3% and 32 and end walls 34 and 36 extending between the adjacent ends of the side walls 39, and 32 and connecting the side walls 30 and 32 together. Another neck 38 rises from the cover 18 and is conformably shaped to receive therein the neck '20 of the closure member 16.

A shelf 4% is positioned below and spaced from the 2,839,228 Patented June 17, 1958 the sidewalls 30 and 32 and the end walls 34 and 36. The shelf 40 has on its upper face a groove, as at 42 in Figure 2 and in Figure 5, extending along the portion of the shelf 40 adjacent each of the neck side walls 30 and 32. The portion of the shelf 40 between the grooves 42 and spaced from the neck end wall 36 is provided with a hole 44- for the dispensing therethrough of liquid or other material contained in the container to which the device 10 is to be attached.

A slide member 46 is positioned within the neck 28 and is of a width to fit between the side walls 30 and 32 and is of a length less than the length of the shelf 40. The slide member 46 is positioned within the neck 28 adjacent to and spaced above the shelf 40 with one end edge contiguous to the neck end wall 36.

A runner 48 extends along each of the side edges of the slide member 46 and depends therefrom with the runners 4d resting within and slidably engaging the adjacent grooves 42. The slide member 46 is provided on its under face with a web 50 extending along and depending from the portion of the slide member 46 between and spaced from the runners 48, the web 56 supported upon and frictionally engaging the intermediate portion of the shelf 44?. The web 50 is shown most clearly in Figures 2 and 5.

An upstanding dispensing nozzle 52 is carried on the medial portion of the slide member 46 and is formed integrally therewith and is normally in registry with the hole 44 in the shelf 40. The slide member 46 is selectively movable in response to a manually applied force to the nozzle 52 to shift the slide member from the position in which the nozzle is in registry with the hole 44 to a position in which the nozzle 52 is out of registry with the hole, this latter positionbeing shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

Means is provided for holding the slide member 45 in either of its selected positions. This means comprises a lip 54 carried by each of the side walls of the neck 38 of the cover 18 and frictionally engaging the adjacent one of the runners 48, the lips 54 extending over the upper ends of the side walls 30 and 32 of the closure member neck 23, as shown in Figure 2.

Cooperating anchoring means is carried by the closure member 16 and the cover 18 for securing the cover 18 to the closure member 16. Specifically, this anchoring means consists in, as shown in Figure 2, a groove formed as at 56, in the outer face of the skirt 20 intermediate the ends of the latter and a bead 58 carried on the lower end of a flange or skirt 60 depending from the under face of the cover 18 inwardly of and spaced from the outer flange 62. The skirts 20 and 60 are fabricated of slightly resilient material allowing the head 58 to become seated within the groove 56 when the cover 18 is positioned so as to encompass the closure member 16. it will be noted that the position of the groove 56 and the head 58, when the cover 18 is secured to the closure member 16 is such that the lower end of the skirt 60 abuts against the upper face of the container top 12 at the point where the latter is turned downwardly to form the wall 26 of the opening in the container top 12. Thus it will be seen that the closure member 16 and the cover are attached to the container top 12 in such a manner as to provide a tight seal about the opening in the container top 12.

The slide member 46 is preferably fabricated of such material as to provide resiliency sufiicient that the web 55 is in tight frictional engagement with the adjacent portion of the shelf 40 in either of its positions covering or opening the hole 44 in the shelf 40.

If desired, the nozzle 52 may be fabricated of a less resilient material to provide suflicient rigidity that it will not bend substantially when a manually applied force is used to shift it longitudinally of the shelf 40 for the purpose of opening the container and subsequent dispensing of fluids contained therein.

The upper surface of the cover 18 may be provided with a decoration as at 64 if it is desired to identify the 1. A dispensing device for attachment to a container top provided with a discharge opening comprising a cap adapted to be mounted on said container top so as to bridge and close the discharge opening thereof, a neck rising from said cap and having opposed side walls and an end wall extending between each of the adjacent ends of said side walls, a shelf positioned below and spaced from the upper end of said neck and bridging the space between said side and end walls, said shelf having on its upper face a groove extending along the portion thereof adjacent each of said neck side walls, there being a dispensing hole in the portion of said shelf between said grooves and spaced from one of said neck end walls, a slide member of a width so as to fit between said neck side walls and of a length less than the length of said shelf positioned within said neck adjacent to and spaced above said shelf with one end edge contiguous to said one neck end wall, a runner extending along each of the side.

edges of said slide'member and depending therefrom, a web extending along and depending from the portion of said slide member between and spaced from said runners,

the runners of said slide member resting' within and slidably engaging said grooves with the web of said slide member supported upon and frictionally engaging the intermediate portion of said shelf, an upstanding dispensing nozzle on the medial portion of said slide member normally in registry with said shelf dispensing hole, said slide member being selectively movable in response to a manually applied force from the position in which said nozzle is in registry with said hole to a position in which said nozzle is out of registry with said hole, and means carried by said neck side walls and engaging said runners for holding the slide member in either of its selected positions.

2. A dispensing device for attachment to a container top provided with a discharge opening comprising a cap adapted to be mounted on said container top so as to bridge and close the discharge opening thereof, a neck rising from said cap and having opposed side walls and an end wall extending between each of the adjacent ends of said side walls, a shelf positioned below and spaced from the upper end of said neck and bridging the space between said side and end walls, said shelf having on its upper face a groove extending along the portion thereof adjacent each of said neck side walls, there being a dispensing hole in the portion of said shelf between said grooves and spaced from one of said neck end walls, a slide member of a width so as to fit between said neck side walls and of a length less than the length of said shelf positioned within said neck adjacent to and spaced above 7 said shelf with one end edge contiguous to said one neck end wall, a runner extending along each of the side edges of said slide member and depending therefrom, a web extending along and depending from the portion of said slide member between and spaced from said runners, the runners of said slide member resting within and slidably engaging said grooves with the web of said slide member supported upon and frictionally engaging the intermediate portion of said shelf, an upstanding dispensing nozzle on the medial portion ofsaid slide member normallyin registry with said shelf dispensing hole, said slide member being selectively movable in response to a manually apadapted to be mounted on said container top so as to bridge and close the discharge opening thereof, said cap including a closure member having a depending skirt extending into said container discharge opening and frictionally engaging the walls thereof when said cap is mounted on said container and a cover embracingly engaging said closure member, a neck rising from said closure member and having opposed side walls and an end wall extending between each of the adjacent ends of said side walls, another neck rising from said cover conformably shaped to receive therein said closure member neck, a shelf positioned below and spaced from the upper end of said closure member neck and bridging the space between said closure member neck side and end walls, said shelf having on its upper face a groove extending along the portion thereof adjacent each of said side walls, there being a dispensing hole in the portion of said shelf between said grooves and spaced from one of said end walls, a slide member of a width so as to fit between said side walls and of a length less than the length of said shelf positioned within said closure member neck adjacent to and spaced above said shelf with one end edge contiguous to said one closure member neck end wall, a runnerextending along each of the side edges of said slide member and depending therefrom, a web extending along, and depending from the portion of said slide member between and spaced from said runners, therunners of said slide,

member resting within and slidablyengaging said grooves with the web of said slide member supported upon and frictionally engaging the intermediate portion of said shelf, an upstanding dispensing nozzle on the medial portion of said slide member normally in registry with said shelf dispensing hole, said slide member being selectively 'movable in response to a manually applied force from the position in which said nozzle is in registry with said hole to a position in which said nozzle isout of registry wth said hole, and a lip carried by each'of the side walls of said cover neck frictionally engaging the adjacent onev of said runners and holding said slide member in either gaging said closure member, a neck rising from'said clu I sure member and having opposed side walls and an end wall extending between each ofrthe adjacent ends of said side walls, another neck'rising fiom said cover conformably shaped to receive therein saidv closure member neck, 7

a shelf positioned below and spaced from the upper end of said closure member neck. and bridging the space between said closure member neck side and end walls, said shelf having on its upper face a groove extendingalong the portion thereof adjacent each of said side walls, there being a dispensing hole in the portion of said shelf between said grooves and spaced from one of said end walls, a slide member of a width soas to fit between said side walls and of a length less than the length of said, shelf positioned within'said closure member neck adjacent'to and spaced above said shelf with one end edge contiguous to said one closure member neck end wall, a runner extending along each of the side edges of said slide member and depending therefrom, a web extending along. and

depending from the portion of said slide member between and spaced from said runners, the runners of said slide member resting Within and slidably engaging said grooves with the web of said slide member supported upon and frictionally engaging the intermediate portion of said shelf, an upstanding dispensing nozzle on the medial portion of said slide member normally in registry with said shelf dispensing hole, said slide member being selectively movable in response to a manually applied force from the position in which said nozzle is in registry with said hole to a position in which said nozzle is out of registry with said hole, a lip carried by each of the side walls of said cover neck friciionally engaging the adjacent one of said runners and holding said slide member in either of irs selected positions, and cooperating anchoring means carried by said closure member and said cover securing said cover to said closure member.

No references cited. 

